Hand-carried yarn splicing device

ABSTRACT

A hand-held battery-powered apparatus for splicing thermoplastic yarn embodies a pistol-shaped body having a primary guide rail thereon and a fixed heating element near one of this rail. A trigger operated carriage moves on the rail and carries coacting jaw means which grip and move the yarn into close proximity with the radiant heating element. The heating element is energized automatically by the closing of a switch when the carriage is retracted.

Filed Oct. 7, 1970 p 1972 w. v. WILLIAMS 3,690,994

HAND-CARRIED YARN SPLICING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIE V. WILLIAMS BY 3% M 4 ATTORNEY p 1972 w. v. WILLIAMS 3,690,994

HAND-CARRIED YARN SPLICING DEVICE Filed Oct. 7, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS INVENTOR WILLIE V. WILUAMS BY www.4-

ATTORNEY p 1972 w. v. WILLIAMS 3,690,994

HAND-CARRIED YARN SPLICING DEVICE Filed Oct. 7, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 H66 3,690,994 Patented Sept. 12, 1972 United States Patent once 3,690,994 HAND-CARRIED YARN SPLICING DEVICE Willie Vincent Williams, 701 S. Green St., Dalton, Ga. 30720 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 790,077, Jan. 9, 1969, now Patent No. 3,607,559. This application Oct. 7, 1970, Ser. No. 78,812

Int. Cl. B65h 21/00 US. Cl. 156-433 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hand-held battery-powered apparatus for splicing thermoplastic yarn embodies a pistol-shaped body having a primary guide rail thereon and a fixed heating element near one end of this rail. A trigger operated carriage moves on the rail and carries coacting jaw means which grip and move the yarn ends into close proximity with the radiant heating element. The heating element is energized automatically by the closing of a switch when the carriage is retracted.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of prior copending application S.N. 790,077, filed Jan. 9, 1969 now US. Pat. No. 3,607,559, for Portable Synthetic Yarn Splicing Apparatus.

The object of the invention is to improve upon and materially simplify the apparatuses disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. 3,323,971 and in the above copending application. The apparatus in the present application has been stripped to essential elements and still operates very effectively for its intended purpose. It is much more economical and more trouble free in use and requires a lesser degree of skill by the user.

Other features and advantages of the structure will appear as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the yarn splicing device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the device with the cover removed and the carriage in the forwardmost position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the carriage and associated parts partly retracted.

FIG. 4 is a similar elevational view showing the carriage fully retracted.

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the opposite side of the apparatus with the carriage in the normal forward position.

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the carriage retracted.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the apparatus with the carriage in the forward position as shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, the device comprises a hand-held body 10 having the shape of a pistol and including a hand grip portion 11 and a plate portion 12 projecting forwardly from the top of the hand grip and upon which the apparatus components are mounted.

A primary longitudinal guide rail or member 13 is disposed above and extends longitudinally of the plate portion 12 and this rail is a laterally thin blade-like rail, FIG. 8, disposed on edge vertically and having top and bottom edges 14 and 15. A pair of spaced brackets 16 and 17 rise from the plate portion 12 and are secured to one side of the guide rail 13 to support the same at the proper elevation above the plate portion 12.

A relatively stationary radiant heating element 18 is spaced forwardly of the leading end of the guide rail 13 and is carried by a block 19 of ceramic or the like supported by an L-bracket 20 anchored to the plate portion 12 in advance of the guide rail 13.

A carriage block 21 is mounted on the guide rail 13 for movement lengthwise thereof and has grooved bearing elements 22 on one side at its upper corners and lower rear corner. These bearing elements are formed of plastic material which is nylon or the like and they engage over the edges 14 and 15 of the guide rail, as shown.

An adjustable L-shaped stop element 23 is mounted on the side of the guide rail 13 so as to be in the path of movement of the rear end of the carriage block 21, FIG. 8, when the latter is retracted. This adjustable stop accurately limits the rearward movement of the carriage block on the guide rail so as to position the yarn ends being spliced directly opposite the heating element 18 at the required time. A trigger 24 is dependingly secured to the carriage block 21 and projects below the plate portion 12 through a clearance slot 25 provided therein.

A switch 26, such as a microswitch, is secured to one side of the rail 13 at its rear end and has a top pivoted actuator 27 including a rod extension 28 which projects forwardly close to the opposite side of the rail 13 and has an inclined downturn forward end 29. The downturned terminal 29 is engaged by the upper rear bearing element 22 of the carriage block when the carriage is retracted or by an extension element 30 thereon in the form of a small L-shaped bracket. This causes pivoting of the switch actuator 27 to close the switch 26 and energize the heating element 18 at the proper times. In this connection, the hand grip 11 is hollow and contains suitable battery 31 electrically connected by wiring 32 with the switch 26. Additional wiring 33 connects the switch with the terminal of the element 18 and the other terminal of the heating element is connected by a wire 34 to a suitable ground terminal 35.

A return spring 36 interconnects the carriage block 21 with a small anchoring element 37 on the foot of the L- shaped bracket. 20. The foot of this bracket also carries an upstanding stop 38 to limit forward movement of the carriage structure moving on the rail 13, as will be further discussed. The spring 36 returns the carriage structure automatically to its forwardmost position against the stop 38 when the trigger is released.

An extension plate 39 is disposed on the side of the carriage block 21 remote from the rail 13 and has its rear end pivotally anchored to the carriage block by an element 40 having a compression spring 41 which biases the extension plate 39 toward the adjacent side of carriage block 21 but allows lateral pivoting of the extension plate to a limited extent about its rear vertical edge 42 which bears against the carriage block 21. The forward laterally swingable end of extension plate 39 carries a longitudinal guide rod 43 engaging in a horizontal slot in an upstanding guide element 44 mounted on the forward portion of plate 12. This guide arrangement stabilizes the forward end of the longitudially movable and laterally swingable extension plate 39 which moves with the carriage block 21 but can pivot laterally thereof about its rear end or edge 42. To accurately adjust the lateral spacing of extension plate 39 relative to the guide rail 13, an adjustable lateral screw stop 45 is provided on the forward end of the guide rail 13 in advance of the carriage block 21, see FIG. 8. The screw stop engages the interior side of extension plate 39 adjustably. The screw stop 45 slidably contacts the interior side of carriage extension plate 39 to maintain this plate and the jaw means 46 carried thereby at a predetermined angle to the guide rail 13 during movement of the carriage longitudinally with respect to the guide rail.

A reversely facing yarn gripping jaw 46 is carried by the forward extremity of extension plate 39 and has a tapered cavity 47 to receive the yarn ends to be spliced as they are placed transversely through the jaw. A secondary carriage or slide 48 is longitudinally movably mounted on the extension plate 39 and has elements 49 and 50 which embrace the extension plate 39 slidably. A lateral extension 51 on the secondary carriage 48 is the carriage element which contacts the previously-described forward limit stop 38. A separate return spring 52 interconnecting the secondary carriage 48 and the anchoring element 37 serves to automatically return the secondary carriage to its forwardmost position when the trigger is released.

The secondary carriage 48 has secured to its inner side a coacting yarn gripping jaw 53 which faces forwardly in opposing relationship to the jaw 46, FIG. 8 and FIG. 5. When the trigger is pulled to retract the carriage block 21, extension plate 39 and jaw 46, the latter will engage the coacting jaw 53 so as to clamp the yarn ends together in the tapered socket 47 and then continued retraction of the trigger will cause the secondary carriage 48 to move rearwardly with the block 21 and associated parts until the stop 23 is engaged and the yarn ends gripped by the two jaws 46 and 53 are held directly opposite the vertical heating element 18 in closely spaced relation thereto but out of contact therewith. It will be understood that the secondary carriage 48 and its jaw 53 are independently movable and slide on the extension plate 39.

A cover or housing 54 for all of the components mounted on the plate portion 12 of the main body is provided and this cover has bottom flanges 55, FIG. 5, which are received in grooves 56 formed in the opposite sides of the plate portion 12 so that the cover can be slid into place longitudinally and secured by a set screw 57 or the like, FIG. 2, engaging a notch 58 at the rear end of the cover. The cover 54 has a guide slot 59 in its top for the purpose of guiding the two transverse yarn ends to be spliced between two jaws 46 and 53 when the trigger is released and the jaw 46 is in the forwardmost position. The slot 59 assures proper entry of the yarn between the jaws and into the cavity 47.

The general mode of operation and purpose of the invention remains the same as disclosed in Pat. 3,323,971 and in said copending application S.N. 790,077 and need not be repeated herein. The structure and mode of operation, however, have been greatly simplified in the present device without effecting the end result of highly efli ient yarn splicing.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claim.

I claim:

1. A portable apparatus for splicing thermoplastic yarn consisting essentially of a support including a primary guide member, a radiant-type heating element fixed t0 the support, a carriage member provided with a first yarn gripping means slidably mounted on the primary guide member for movement longitudinally thereon, a slide member having a second yarn gripping means mounted on the carriage member and being relatively movable with respect to the carriage member and also moving with the carriage member along the primary guide member, said first and second yarn gripping means operable to grip yarn at a remote point from the radiant-type heating element and to carry the yarn along the primary guide member to a point close to but slightly spaced from the heating element, and a laterally adjustable screw stop on the primary guide member extending transversely thereof and slidably engaging one longitudinal side face of said slide member and maintaining the slide member at a predetermined angle and lateral spacing from the primary guide member during the entire longitudinal travel of the carriage member and slide member as a unit along the primary guide member, said slide member having a springloaded pivotal connection with the carriage member, whereby said one longitudinal side face of the slide member is biased into sliding contact with said screw stop at all times and during the entire longitudinal travel of said carriage and slide members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1967 Williams 156433 1/1970 Risely 156-433 US. Cl. X.R. 

